Managing Staff And The Outdoor Area

[Guest]

Hi everyone! I have never posted on here before so bare with me!

 

I was new to Reception last year and loved it! However I am faced with a few problems this year in terms of setting up the outdoor area and managing it. Last year I had a nursery nurse and a TA so I put the 3 of us on a rota throughout the week to work outside. This seemed to work well. In terms of setting up, our outdoor area is rather large and everything is kept in the shed outside. Due to vandalism we have to put everything away every night and get it all out in the morning. So it takes a while to set everything up and get it all out. We share the area with Y1 and last year they had a lot of support staff so there was a rota for their staff and mine to set up whilst the teachers did their carpet time in a morning. However, this year we don't have as many staff. There is only me and a TA (who is also new to Reception). I was just wondering if anyone could give me advice on how they set up outdoor provision in a morning and how to manage the outdoor area with only me and my TA? At the moment I am trying to be outside 50% of the time so my TA is not out there all day everyday! But this might prove tricky when some of my focussed activities are better suited for indoors?

 

Hope this makes sense and any help would be appreciated!!

Edited September 11, 2011 by Guest

[HappyMaz]

Welcome to the Forum, KiaraJayne and congratulations on making your first post. Make yourself at home!

 

Without knowing what your outside area is like, it is hard to advise but at our pre-school we used to get the children to help us set up outside. An adult would go into our play house and pass resources to the children and they would decide where to place things. We found this really engaged them from the off - they could decide where to put the table and chairs and have their tea parties wherever they wanted to, or where to put the hobby horses so that they could get to them easily.

 

It took a bit of supervision to ensure they were safe and so on, but they soon got the hang of it and (most of the children) formed a very willing queue at the door to take the resources away.

 

Good luck with getting this sorted - I'm sure there's a solution somewhere!

[klc106]

Hi,

 

I am in a foundation 2 class (4-5yrs) with 30 children, a teacher and a TA. We always set up the outside area each morning before the children arrive and either the teacher or the TA go out in the morning and then we swap over for the afternoon. This way none of us are outside all day and the teacher can get any assessments etc. done inside during the time she is in there.

 

Hope this helps. x

[Guest Pebble123]

My NN sets up before the children arrive but I like the idea of the children helping, I will try that.

 

I would timetable for you and your TA to share being outside-its only fair especially as it gets colder ! I love being outside in all weathers but some dont ! If there is a focused activity you feel is better inside then cant you just ask the TA to carry it out while you go outside ?

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for the replies!! I love the idea of the children helping to set up! I have done a timetable for me and my TA to be outside 50% of the time, so far so good! It's just good to know that people are in a similar situation and I'm doing the right thing!